TNAG-2161-FCO40-3083-Hong-Kong-visa-abolition-agreements-1990 — Page 93

CONFIDENTIAL

042015 MDLIAN 1544

INTERESTS CAN BE PROTECTED.

-

FRANCE,

12. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT SO FAR FIVE COUNTRIES GERMANY, BELGIUM, NETHERLANDS AND LUXEMBOURG - HAVE SIGNED THE AGREEMENT, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CITIZENS OF ABOUT 100 COUNTRIES TO

OBTAIN A COMMON ENTRY VISA VALID FOR ALL FIVE COUNTRIES.

13. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE LIST OF 100 COVERS HONG KONG, A DEPENDENT TERRITORY, OR WHETHER OTHER EC COUNTRIES WILL SIGN THE AGREEMENT.

14. OUR POSITION IS THAT WE DO NOT WISH TO SEE IN 1992 HK BDTC AND

BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS REQUIRING VISAS FOR ALL EC COUNTRIES WHEN AT

PRESENT WE ONLY REQUIRE VISAS TO VISIT FOUR OUT OF THE 12 (NAMELY FRANCE, GERMANY, PORTUGAL AND DENMARK). IN PARTICULAR, WE WOULD WISH TO AVOID HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS REQUIRING VISAS TO

VISIT THE U K.

15. EVEN IF UK DOES NOT SIGN THE AGREEMENT, WE WOULD HOPE TO AVOID ADDITIONAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IMPOSING A VISA REQUIREMENT ON HONG

KONG BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS. INDEED, WE WOULD HOPE TO BE ABLE TO PERSUADE FRANCE, GERMANY, PORTUGAL AND DENMARK TO DROP THEIR VISA REQUIREMENTS. AT PRESENT WE ALLOW VISITORS FROM EC COUNTRIES VISA- FREE ENTRY FOR VISITS UP TO ONE TO THREE MONTHS. WE HOPE FOR RECIPROCITY AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.

FORD

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

62

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

RAD

PUSD

NEWS D

ADDITIONAL

3

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR RITCHIE B2 DIVISION,

NNNN

DISTRIBUTION

65

PAGE

MVD

NTD

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/LORD BRABAZON

MR MCLAREN

MR BURNS

HOME OFFICE (LUNAR HOUSE)

3

CONFIDENTIAL